Sambo in Memory
SAMBO de la Chaume du Bois Dieu
April 8, 2001 - April 13, 2013
Sire: WW Multi-Champ. Sél. VOODOO du Noble Nid (Belgium * HD A/A, PRA clear, SNB clear * Champion Germany 2002, Worldwinner 2001, Champion Luxembourg/France 2001 * Sélectionnée France/Belgium 1999)
Dam: XEBEC du Mas de Chantranne (France * HD A/A, SNB clear)
Sambo only came to me when he was 11 years old. His owners were moving to an apartment and didn't want to take him with them. His breeder, Corinne, searched tirelessly for a long time for someone who would take this senior dog, but to no avail. When I heard about this, I decided to take Sambo in if there was any way to bring him somewhere in Austria. So Corinne decided to bring him with her on her trip to the World Dog Show in Salzburg and picked him up from his owners a few days before her departure. As she discovered there, Sambo was in a pitiful state: he was too thin, and his coat hadn't seen a bath or a brush in years... and he smelled terrible. His gait was poor; he had probably been in an accident at some point and had never received treatment—and he had arthritis. Sambo had apparently never learned anything; he couldn't walk on a leash, didn't even know what a collar was, couldn't play, lived outdoors, and only had shelter in the garage—no dog bed or blanket. When Corinne arrived at her home, she started to shave Sambo as best she could, but she couldn't manage his head before leaving for Salzburg, and she couldn't bathe him. On May 19, 2012, I took Sambo in from Salzburg and immediately drove him home. He was very restless in the car, and Corinne had said the leash should stay up during the drive because he couldn't be leashed in confined spaces.
During the first few days, Sambo was very restless and only dared to come inside with gentle coaxing. He soon ran back outside and spent most of his time on the patio. So, I left the patio door open at night so Sambo could come and go as he pleased. There were no problems with the other dogs from the start. He was introduced to the Chinese Crested dogs immediately, and to the Briards a few days after his arrival, and he got along well with them too. Nevertheless, he was separated from the other dogs when no one was around to check on him—simply for safety, since he'd never been trained to do that.
During his first few days here, Sambo had his neck and head shaved to remove the last of the matted fur. With a lot of patience, it went quite well. When he'd had enough of being groomed, he'd get up and walk away, and then continue to endure it when he lay down again. Since the weather was very warm, I was also able to give him a short, much-needed bath in the garden.
May 24, 2012 - 5 days after his moving in
Thankfully, Sambo ate very well from day one and gained a little weight. Because of his physical condition, I made sure he didn't get too fat. When he realized there was a person caring for him, he started barking whenever he wanted something. And every morning, by 7 a.m. at the latest, he would loudly demand his food, whether I was still asleep or not.
From autumn onward, Sambo accepted that the patio door was no longer open day and night and would let me know when he wanted to go out. He was a lovable, friendly dog with a wonderful character. Over time, he even learned to play, which he picked up from the other dogs. On some days, he overexerted himself, which affected his gait. He had to be forced to rest. He had probably missed out on so much in his life that he desperately wanted to make up for, without understanding that it wasn't good for his weakened bones and out-of-shape body. He was as full of energy as a young dog. My vet gave me depot tablets, which Sambo thankfully tolerated very well and responded to positively – even half the dose. This made his life a little more worth living. Soon, no visitor even noticed that this dog had only recently moved in with me.
January 2013 - his coat has grown back a bit
Sambo had become very dear to me. He cherished the affection he seemed to have never received in his life and always tried to keep an eye on me when he was lying in the house. If he lost sight of me, he would start barking and wait for me to come to him. In the garden, he didn't care whether he was alone or not, and he only barked when someone walked past the garden fence.
Unfortunately, Sambo's arthritis worsened over the winter, and I had to increase his medication dosage. When he was in pain, he would growl, and none of the other dogs were allowed near him. Soon, even the maximum dose of medication was no longer effective, and Sambo became aggressive towards the other dogs and even towards me when I brushed against him as I walked by. Therefore, even though it went completely against my grain, I had to make the very difficult decision to let the poor boy go. On April 13th, 2013, just five days after his 12th birthday, Sambo crossed the Rainbow Bridge. Even though he wasn't with me for long, he took a piece of my heart with him—just like everyone else who's ever been here. My comfort is that he's now at peace and can run free on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge with all the other members of his family and those from here. RIP sweet Sambo...
April 11, 2013
This wonderful dog wasn't even granted a year of the life he should have had from the very beginning with his previous owners. Aside from the fact that they simply wanted to get rid of him because he no longer fit into their lives, they completely failed to give him a good life. Such people should get a stuffed animal.
My thanks go to Corinne for trusting me and allowing this dog from her breeding program to come here, even if only for a short time. I hope that during the nearly 11 months I spent with Sambo, I was able to give him at least a tiny part of what he had been denied his entire life. I wish he had had more time to be pampered by me and to be my companion...